Following right along this month with our “renter-friendly-decorating” tips, I wanted to share two of the coolest all-over wall covering techniques that have just hit lots of renters AND homeowners homes in this past year. Removable wallpaper and Fabric Starched walls. Both GREAT, non-permanent ways to give whatever space you choose in your house, a big punch of color and visual interest.

First, let’s talk removable or temporary wallpaper. Most wallpapers that people are familiar with are made to be compatible with a very strong paste-like adhesive. Which is great for stay-ability, but not so great for a renter or someone who likes to change their mind a lot with their rooms decor. When you are ready to take down traditional wallpaper it can be a huge pain in the neck! Well, thanks to some really innovative companies, wallpaper has now taken on a whole new life, with trendy patterns, colors and a brand new non-damaging semi-permanent adhesive formulas.

Creating a room full of colorful, trendy walls is now a possibility for lots of people who don’t have the option to paint. Again, just like wall decals or any other bold statement on blank walls, keep the word “accent” in mind. Picking just ONE wall or small space/nook to cover in a fun color or pattern can really make a room pop!

Jordan, a style blogger who is the writer of the blog Oh Happy Day has documented and shared her experiences with temporary wallpaper. You can click over to get an inside look on her journey with installation and removal.

Another great idea for short-term decorating is fabric starched walls. It may sound a little strange, but it’s true! By simply using some lightweight fabric and a bit of store-bought liquid starch from the laundry section of your grocery store, you can quickly create a beautiful focal wall in any space! You can read all about how to starch walls with fabric at the Rental Decorating Digest.

Check out the impact that these fabric starched walls make in each of these spaces. You can even choose to cut your fabric into specific shapes or angles to create custom designs, before starching them on your walls.

Below is a short clip from the Nate Berkus show that highlights how to starch walls with fabric.

If you want to try out starched fabric or wallpaper treatments in small doses, then you can hang some large sample pieces on a wall with ribbon, or cover the inside of a frame or two with one of your favorite designs. Because of today’s bright, fun colors and prints, there really is no limit to how you can use these new trend-setting mediums.

Craving more decorating solutions? Browse ideas for temporary decor for renters and feel free to share other ideas you have in the comments section below!

7 Comments

LOVE this post from Shelley! I think I’m going to try the Easywalls on my wooden stairs. Nate’s demo is awesome and he did the same thing on one of the episodes we were on. He used a bed sheet that time. Inspired by Nate, I decided to do a fabric wall in my office. We used a different method than he did, but it worked out great! http://www.realhousewivesofbuckscounty.com/2011/10/fabulous-fabric-wallpaper.html

I really want to cover up my new apartments ugly wallpaper. it is everywhere so I will need more than just one accented wall. i guess the best way would be to choose a cream or beige fabric to do the majority of the walls and then a fabric for accented walls. probably one in each room. it is going to be a big job…does anyone know if starching fabric ontop of wallpaper damages the wallpaper ?